Family pulled from collapsed home in Syria after earthquake as crowd cheers rescuers
As crews search for survivors in the remnants of a massive 7.8 earthquake that has claimed thousands of lives in Turkey and Syria, spirits were lifted when an entire family was rescued from under the rubble.
According to the Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, the family was pulled out Tuesday from under their destroyed house in the village of Bisnia, west of Idlib.
An ABC cameraman captured the moment several children and at least one adult were rescued, prompting roaring sounds of joy from the crowd surrounding the site.
They were all then loaded into an ambulance.
Elsewhere in Syria, a baby girl who was born in the rubble was rescued but the rest of her family did not make it. Local authorities in Jinderis say the married couple and their four children tried to rush out of their apartment building as the earthquake hit Monday morning, but the structure collapsed on them.
The newborn girl was found in front of her mother's body, umbilical cord still attached. Rescuers believe the mother gave birth while trapped under the rubble. The girl, weighing about 7 pounds, was rushed to a hospital with some bruises but apparently otherwise not seriously injured.
The death toll from the earthquake that struck earlier this week has soared above 7,200 and was still expected to rise.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
